Hands Free Cell Phones Don't Solve Driver Distraction
The
number of wireless phone subscribers in the U.S. is constantly
growing and studies have linked the use of wireless phones
while driving to an increased number of automobile crashes.
Across the U.S. and in other countries, numerous efforts
are underway to pass legislation that allows only hands-free
wireless phone use while driving. This push is based on
the assumption that hands-free phones reduce the visual-manual
demands of wireless phone use and are safer since the driver
can keep both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road.
However, hands-free wireless phones most commonly allow
only for hands-free conversation; accessing the phone, dialing,
and hanging up still involve physical contact with the phone
as well as directed glances toward it. Drivers are still
temporarily distracted during these times and are potential
opportunities for automobile crashes.
The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently
conducted a driving simulator study to examine the effects
of phone interface type on driving performance and drivers'
ability to perform phone tasks. In theory, voice dialing
should relieve the visual demand related to dialing a wireless
phone while driving. Unfortunately, if the voice recognition
capability of the hands-free interface is poor, placing
a call may actually take longer than it would with manual
dialing, thus increasing the length of time a driver must
focus on the phone and not the road in front of them.
NHTSA
conducted the study using the National Advanced Driving
Simulator (NADS). Results showed that in most cases participants
overestimated the difficulties linked with hands-free phone
interfaces. In general, drivers considered the hand-held
interface to be most difficult to use, followed by the headset
hands-free and voice dialing hands-free interfaces, respectively.
However, significant differences among interfaces were evident
for dialing and hanging up. The hand-held interface was
associated with the fewest dialing errors and significantly
faster dialing times than the two hands-free interfaces.
A
substantial portion of the 163 million cell phone subscribers
use their wireless phones while driving, at least occasionally.
According to a survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), at any given time, an estimated
3 percent of those driving passenger vehicles on America's
roadways are talking on hand-held wireless phones (NHTSA,
2001). The 2000 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey estimated
that 73 percent of drivers who said they usually have a
wireless phone in their vehicle with them use a hand-held
phone, while 22 percent use hands-free equipment (NHTSA,
2001). The crash related effects of wireless phone use while
driving is a controversial issue, and has been under public
scrutiny in recent years.
Rae
Tyson, a spokesperson for NHTSA had this to say "We've
evaluated and come to the conclusion that hands-free use
is just as risky or perhaps riskier than hand-held phones
because it's the cognitive distraction that can compromise
driving."
(Source:
NHTSA)
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